Sin brought into the light
John 3:16-21
John 3
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish (be fully destroyed) but have eternal life.
“God’s love was not mere sentiment but led to a specific action: He gave his only Son”
Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Do I want to love as God loves?
If so, then my love must not be a mere sentiment but lead to specific action.
John 3
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn (pass final judgement on and separate for its destruction) the world, but in order that the world might be saved (rescued, healed made whole) through him.
John 3
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
“…For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
John 18:37
Verse 18 emphasizes the fact that there are only two options:
According to the Bible:
Those who do not believe are "condemned already," in the present tense. Jesus didn’t have to come do it.
We have already been declared guilty, because we are guilty.
God's love and patience cause Him to delay judgment
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Now we have the opportunity to let Christ pay our penalty for us.
Our rescue is dependent on us accepting and trusting in God’s solution for our guilt. Jesus.
John 3
19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
John 3
20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
John 3
21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
What is:
If I do what I know is wrong, I want to hide it. Keep it in the dark.
If I do the right thing, I want it to be seen. Bring it into the light.
What should be: (truth)
1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
What should be: (truth) How to handle our sin
Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes (loosens, leaves, separates from) them will find compassion.
What should be: (truth) How to handle our sin
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What should be: (truth) How to handle our sin
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Pride will keep us from confessing our sin. We don’t like to admit we were wrong. Pride rushes in to justify, explain, or blame-shift instead of confessing and being forgiven. God resists a prideful person (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
Another factor that hinders the confession of sin is ignorance.
“..the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. John 3:19
The word translated as "evil" here is the Greek ponēros.
This term not only implies evil, but also efforts full of labor, annoyances, hardships.
A life of sin is more than just immoral, it is a hard life (John 10:10; Matthew 11:28).